Leonetta
LOCATION
Príncipe Real, Lisbon
COMPLETION
2021
AREA
210 sqm
Leonetta sprang to life in a Lisbon neighbourhood already bursting with international character. From an empty shell with a double height ceiling to intimidate interior designers, an Italian trattoria with all the charm and idiosyncrasy of its forebears put down roots.
Vaulting arches and mirrors are designed to unite the ground and mezzanine floors so that the vast interior becomes liberating. Pictures from the owners’ family collection cluster the walls on all sides. The interior veers confidently toward chaos, then pulls back.
Diners, bar and kitchen all come together the heart of the restaurant in an homage to that other Italian communion; delicious food prepared and consumed together. Reverent but not anachronistic, Leonetta’s design doesn’t bow completely to what has gone before; high tables are a nod to the faster, more fluid social life that characterises Lisbon today.
